Idris Elba officially out as Bond?

Last Updated on August 21, 2022

Idris Elba Bond

The name’s Elba. Idris Elba. But that doesn’t mean he’ll be Bond. James Bond. In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, Elba suggested that he may not be 007 material.

While promoting his latest, Beast (read our review here!), Elba explicitly had zero opinion on “who plays James Bond next. I think that it could be really well cast, and I look forward to whoever gets it. When I look in the mirror, I don’t see James Bond.”

Many do still see Elba as the secret agent. Elba has consistently been one of the most buzzed-about choices. Even Pierce Brosnan had high praise: “Idris Elba comes to mind. Idris is such a powerful presence and such a great former voice tensity. He would be magnificent.” Elba’s favorite Bond? Connery. Sean Connery.

Realistically, Elba, 49, may have aged out of the role. Odds are now skewing towards a younger James Bond, with names like Henry Cavill and Tom Hardy taking the lead. The oldest Bond debut was Roger Moore, who was 46 in Live and Let Die. (Don’t worry, we’re not counting 57-year-old David Niven’s Casino Royale outing.) The most recent Bond, Daniel Craig, was 53 when his last outing, No Time to Die, was released.

Elba has a busy 2022, with five movies out, including Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Beast and a feature-length take off his popular BBC series Luther.

What are your thoughts on Idris Elba denying the role? Who would you like to see play James Bond?

Source: The Wall Street Journal

About the Author

2315 Articles Published

Mathew is an East Coast-based writer and film aficionado who has been working with JoBlo.com periodically since 2006. When he’s not writing, you can find him on Letterboxd or at a local brewery. If he had the time, he would host the most exhaustive The Wonder Years rewatch podcast in the universe.